There were more than a few eyebrows r🧜aised when it became clear that Hafizh☂ Syahrin had moved into pole position for the vacant Monster Yamaha Tech3 ride.

But by the en൲d of a debut test in Thailand, the𓆏 23-year-old had silenced his doubters.

Making history as ꧒th𝓀e first Malaysian in MotoGP, Syahrin finished 21st out of the 24 riders, just 1.756s from fastest man Dani Pedrosa (Honda).

Syahrin's only 'blip' came when he was caught out by a lack of experience with the Michelin tyres and fell on his first lap after lunch on day two. A similar fate 🦹befell former Moto2 rival and fellow𒁃 rookie Franco Morbidelli.

But the positives vastly outweighed that negative - and who woulꦜd have believed Syahrin's name would be one plꦍace above triple MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo, under any circumstances, on the final day?

While Syahrin is still to be officially confirmed as ke𒉰eping the seat for 2018, it would now be a massiv🤡e shock if he is not on the satellite M1 for the opening round in Qatar.

"Very happy, thank you to Tech 3 and Yamaha for believing in me and taking me to the test to give me this opportunity," smiled Syahrin. "I'm very happy wꦅith the test and I gave my best to the team.

"I'm very proud to be part of MotoGP and riding with legends like Márquez, Rossi, Lorenzo. Because all the rider𓃲s that go to MotoGP are the best. For me, I'm just a beginner, I tried to learn what I need to learn, take a lot of experience.

"It's not easy to adapt to the MotoGP riding style, but I tried to learn and tried to change. You need to pick up the bike quickly out of the corners and open the🅘 gas early. At the end, I have a good feeling with the bike."

Syahrin - the only 2018 rookie without a grand prix victory to🦋 his name - also chose to do the learning by ❀himself, out on track.

"Actually this is the best way for me. On the last day I tried to follow some other riders. It was good to 𓆉see, but when I improved it was always from going alone.

"I kept improving every session, lit🃏tle by littꦺle, and in the last exit I set a good lap time.

"Before coming here I thought maybe I can be three seconds from the top, so in the end [1.756s] is a surprise. For me it's re𓆉ally good, because I see 🎉some riders who go to MotoGP and are always two or three seconds behind.

"But I don't know, maybe it's the track. For me it's not an easy or difficult track, it's int🎶ermediate. But I can manage below two seconds to the top, so I'm really happy and I have a good connection with the bike."

With Tec🍎h3 packing up at lunchtime on the final day, Syahrin may well have gone faster in the cooler late-afternoon cond🌸itions, when Pedrosa set his best time to final topple Syahrin's team-mate Johann Zarco.

And the big question, will Syahrin be b🌊ack on the bike for the final test in Qatar and 2018 season?

"I 𓂃don't know. I hope I can arrive in Qatar. Because I'm already in love with the bike," Syahrin replied.

"Also the team work like a family. This is important for me, because everybody needs ꦦto have a good relationship, get good support, to have a good ꦐresult.

"But we will see. For the moment, I just came here for the test, and I ho👍pe that I can arrive in Qatar."

Team boss Herve Poncharal was certainly pleased:

"I know everyone is expecting a decision regarding Hafizh Syahrin. All I can say right now is, that he has done a fantastic job duriꦅng this test, showing a great motivation, willing to learn an𝕴d speed on track in a really good atmosphere with the team.

"Very soon we will take our decision, as we have to share all details of organisation wit♒h all our partners."

The Qatar test takes place from March 1-3.